1 Corinthians 8:1 Now I will write about meat that is sacrificed to idols. It is certainly true that we all have knowledge. But this knowledge only fills people with pride. It is love that helps the church grow stronger.
1 Corinthians 8:2 Those who think they know something do not yet know anything as they should.
1 Corinthians 8:3 But whoever loves God is known by God.
1 Corinthians 8:4 Now I want to talk about meat that has been sacrificed to idols. We all know that no idol in the world is alive. We know that there is only one true living God.
1 Corinthians 8:5 Many people say there are gods in heaven or on earth and we know that people worship many gods and say they are lords
1 Corinthians 8:6 For us there is only one God, and he is our Father. All things came from the Father, and we live for him. And there is only one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things were made through him, and we also have life through him.
1 Corinthians 8:7 But not all the believers understand that there is only one God. They served these idols for many years before they became believers. They think that when they eat meat that was sacrificed to idols, they serve those idols. And because these believers feel guilty very easily, they think that they have sinned.
1 Corinthians 8:8 But food will not bring us closer to God. Refusing to eat does not make us less pleasing to God, and eating does not make us closer to him.
1 Corinthians 8:9 Those of you who think it is not wrong to eat meat that was sacrificed to idols must be careful because other believers may sin when they see what you eat.
1 Corinthians 8:10 If you think it is not wrong to eat meat that was sacrificed to idols and someone who does not have a strong faith sees you eating in a temple of an idol, what will he think? He will think that he too can eat there and maybe he will then start to serve those idols.
1 Corinthians 8:11His faith is not strong and because you think it is not wrong to eat meat that was sacrificed to idols, he may be lost. But he is a believer, and Christ died for him.
1 Corinthians 8:12 When you do something that would make other believers feel guilty, then you sin against Christ.
1 Corinthians 8:13 That is why, if food makes someone sin, and that person believes in Christ like I do, then I will never eat meat again so that I will not make other believers sin.